Why?
by infallallthingsaremadesplended
Summary: ok. End of seventh year when an all out battle comes to Hogwarts' gates. This is the end !All out war and drama! please r&r.
1. Default Chapter

A/N Ok. This is first fanfic of my life. I know it might be alittle off but I did this one just to make sure it was working. Please RR. Thank you and enjoy. Also I do not own anyove the characters or the setting of Hogwarts. It is all owned by Rowlings brillient mind. thanks

Why?

Harmione looked out across the silver surface of the Hogwarts lake. It was dusk and the sun was slowly beginning its decent down the western horizon. It cast a shade of gold over the grounds making a perfect ending of a spring day.

Hermione, however, hardly even notice the natural beauty of the land. She sat trying to clear her head of the horrible argument that she had just had with Harry. It wasn't even much of an argument. Just her yelling at him. How could she have blown up like that? It wasn't like it was even something important. It was just probably all in her mind.

Since the attack by the Death Eaters at The Burrow over the Christmas holidays he had been ignoring her. She didn't know why. He had saved her for crying out loud! If it wouldn't have been for him then she would be dead. What was the problem?

Now she felt even worse as she remembered it. Harry had saved her life and what had she done in return? Yelled at him. Over what? Just because she thought he was ignoring her. How ungrateful she must have seen to him. How she hated herself at that moment.

A small tear rain down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and tried to regain composer. She shouldn't be such a baby. What she should do is apologize to Harry. He dealt with so much as it was, she wanted to be sure to be there for him. He needed her and Ron now more than ever.

Slowly Hermoine realized that someone had walked up beside her. She looked up from her seat on the bank and saw Harry's tall figure standing next to her. He sat down next to her and looked out over the water.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm the one that should be sorry. I got mad at you over the silliest thing. I now you really aren't ignoring me or anything. It was probably all in my head." She tried to play it off with a smile. " I just didn't want you to think that I couldn't help you or anything. I wanted you to know that I'm here for you."

"It wasn't in your head." Harry replied. " I was ignoring you, but not because I think you are useless, or that you aren't there for me."

Hemione was caught speechless. She didn't expect him to just come out with it like that. It took what felt to her like forever till she was able to speak again.

"Why?" she asked looking into Harry's green eyes. "Did it have to do with the Death Eaters, or is it something else? Tell me."

Harry seemed to look at her for the longest time. Hermione could almost see him trying to figure out what to say to her. The cool spring breeze came rolling over the lake filled with fresh air. Harry took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the country air, before he spoke.

"This past Christmas was the second time that you've almost died because of me." He said very slowly. "After it happened I realized something."

Hermione tensed. "What was it?"

"I don't know what I would do with out you." Harry said with a slight laugh. "After the attack I realized how much you really mean to me. You are the most amazing person I have ever meat. You've stuck beside me when no one else would. Even when Ron wasn't talking to me you did. You are my voice of reason when I am angry or sad. You have always been there for me when I needed you." His eyes became more serious and his voice lowered again. "I can't lose you Hermione. Not after everything that has happened. I don't think I could bear it."

He seemed to get closer to Hermione, but how she wasn't sure. She was caught up in his deep, steady gaze. They were close now and she could feel his chest rise with every breath that he took. Was this really happening?

He continued on speaking barely above a whisper. "I want to protect you and I will, but there could be a time that I can't. I can't lose you. Pushing you away and getting you out of all this seemed to be the best thing. It's too dangerous."

"I know," she said with a tear in her eye "I know it's dangerous but I can't just leave you. You know that." She looked down and wiped the running tear.

"That's why I love you."

Hermoine looked up at him. He loved her. Before she knew it his hand was in her hair and his lips were on her lips. The sun now sent out its final colour. Red.

Fin


	2. Bad Dreams

A/N Thank you to the people that reviewed the first chapter. Because of what some of you have said I have decided to continue with this story. I was actually thinking about it before I even posted the first and it was then settled. I hope you all are ok with this now being not just about Harry and Hermione, but rather the end of book 7. I have some ideas about what it should be about and hopefully it will work. If you have ideas please write them. Thanks.

Two

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the last people in the common room as Ginny went up to the girl's dormitory. All three of them were so tired having spent the entire night studying for the start of the N.E.W.T.s tomorrow. Now, as they tried to study just by looking at the books and hopefully remembering something they were each slowly drifting off in their own way.

"That's it," said Hermione as she dramatically slammed the large book she had been poring over for the last hour. "I can not study one minute longer. If I do I think I will go crazy".

Harry and Ron looked at her with the strangest looks on their faces. Hermione, not wanting to study? This was quite odd.

"What?" she asked back at their looks. "Everyone has a breaking point and I just reached mine" and with that she went and sat down in front of the fire on the comfortable sofa.

Ron sighed. "I think I reached mine before we even started. I think I'm going to go up to bed". He looked over at Harry as he picked up all his books and papers. "You coming?" he asked.

Harry looked over at the sofa that Hermione was sitting on and shook his head. "I'll be up in a moment," he said pointing to a pile of papers before him. "Got to go through all this first."

"Suit yourself," he said shrugging it off and heading upstairs.

As soon as he heard the boy's dormitory shut he was up out of his seat heading towards the sofa.

"We really should tell him you know" Hermione told him as he sat down next to her. "It's not like he would get mad or anything."

They hadn't told him about everything because they both knew that he _would_ get mad. However, they knew that they would need to tell him eventually. They just kept putting it off for as long as possible.

Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulders and they both let out a deep breath that they had unconsciously been holding. He slowly ran his hand through her soft hair. These were the moments that made him feel totally at peace. Away from everything that could disturb him, even Voldamort.

Without even realizing it the two of them had fallen asleep on the sofa, Hermione leaning up against Harry who had his head resting on hers.

The Burrow had been completely silent. It seemed that nothing was moving in the house at the early hour. Everyone laid asleep, Harry and Ron in his room, Hermione and Ginny in hers, and about the house people lay at the oddest of places wherever they could find. The night before had been Christmas supper and the whole Order had been invited with most of them coming and actually staying the night.

Upstairs Harry lay sound asleep in his bed. The night had been completely free of any nightmares that usually occurred and he was having his first real sleep in what seemed like ages. Sadly enough it wasn't meant to last.

From downstairs a loud BANG! Rang through the house bringing everyone out of their sleep.

Harry jumped out of bed quickly fallowed by Ron with their wands raised. Harry had a bad felling about this.

Running down the stairs seemed to happen in slow motion. From the bottom they could here the sound of spells being fired and the screams as somebody was hit.

_No,_ thought Harry, _not here, not now!_ He wasn't ready for this. Not again.

He hit the bottom stair and stared in horror at what he saw…

Harry woke up.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Harry's eyes full of tears. That greatly troubled her. What had happened?

"Harry," she said softly trying to get his attention. "Harry what's the matter?"

He looked at her and gave her a sad smile. "Nothing," he said, "just a bad dream. That's all."

"Was it about The Burrow?" she asked calmly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

A flash of the vicious battle ran before Harry's eyes. The order members barely had a shot against the mass of Death Eaters that had invaded the house. He could see them being cut down one by one. Their screams rang through his thoughts like a knife through water. It wasn't even until Dumbledore showed up that they had a chance, but then…

How could things have gone so wrong?

Hermione brought him back to reality. His rock in all this fast moving river of death. She could, no, would never know just how much she meant to him.

"It's ok," she said smoothing his hair. "What happened was meant to happen. Nothing could have prevented it. You know that".

In her eyes Harry could see his world being made right. He could see life.

"Your safe, and that is all that matters". Now tears started to form in her eyes as well. "You're our only hope. With out you, all is lost."

Harry slid his hand down the side of her face, "With out you, _I'm_ lost".

Hermione gave a slight laugh, "I'm always here for you. You know that. Nothing can stop me".

"Promise you will always be there?" Harry asked seriously.

"Yes," she said leaning in and kissing him. "I promise".

A/N Sorry this chapter is somewhat short. Slight writers block at the time that I wrote it. Just wanted to get it down before I leave. Now go and leave me a review. Love the reviews! Worship the reviews! Also check out my other story. It's under Dracula but only because I didn't know where else to put a vamp. Fic. It's just a stupid thing that popped in the head. Called "A very long night" please check it out. Now go leave a comment.


	3. The War Starts

**Chapter 3**

The War Starts

Harry looked out over the silver lake and breathed a sigh of relief. The N.E.W.T.s were now over to the immense joy to any seventh year student. Harry couldn't believe how happy he was that it was all over. There was something that had been weighing on his mind though that disturbed him. He wasn't even sure what it was though. The feeling was so strange that the only word Harry could find to describe it was a feeling of being "ready" so to say. Something was about to happen. He just knew it.

Across the lawn Harry looked to find Ron and Hermione walking over to where he was sitting. Hermione looked really good in the late afternoon sun. He smiled to himself thinking _I'm so lucky._ Truthfully, who could have asked for better friends than Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger? They had been with him through thick and thin and somehow had come out of it all. What would he do without them?

"Hay, what's up mate?" asked Ron as he sat down next to his best friend.

"Nothing much" he replied, "just enjoying the freedom of the end of the tests."

Ron laughed, "I hear you".

Hermione now sat down on Harry's other side. "I thought they weren't that bad actually".

"Not for you maybe," said Harry "but for us what you think is easy is ten times as hard."

"Exactly" said Ron laughing.

"Oh, come on!" she said exasperated, "there is no way that it was that hard." Ron and Harry gave her the are-you-kidding looks that they had been giving her for the past seven year. "Oh come on!"

For the first time since Christmas all three of them felt as if things were back to normal. Even for the shortest time, everything was ok. They sat on the hill looking out and just talking like they used to do before anything had ever happened. The moment could be said that it was the closest that they had all felt to one another. Nothing could separate them now. They were separate from everyone else yet tied together.

Harry thought that there was no way that he would ever forget this day. Just a regular day with his two best friends. This day…. this day was special.

Over towards the Forbidden Forest there was a sudden bang that ran through the air. It wasn't loud or anything. Most people that were out lounging hadn't even realized it. A flock of birds quickly flew out of the trees and into the dusky sky a way from the forest. Harry noticed it though and it gave him goose bumps.

"Harry?" Hermione asked realizing Harry was looking straight at the forest with worry. "Harry what is it?"

"Something's wrong" he said standing up and facing the forest. Behind him Ron and Hermione did the same.

He could see them now. As spells were being cast behind the tree line it cast a silhouette on a mass of dark hooded figures just inside the forest. There were people walking near the forest but they didn't seem to see the small flashes of light.

_Oh God,_ he thought and started running towards the small group of people.

"Hay!" he yelled "Stop!" but it was already too late. A bright jet of green and red lights shot out from the trees. Right before Harry, Ron, and Hermione's eyes the students fell to the ground motionless.

Out from the trees now came what could only be described as an army. A whole army of Death Eaters! Hundreds started walking up to the castle. Their wands were raised taking anyone down that came in their path.

All the students that had now been outside the castle were now running for their lives for the safety of the thick stonewalls. Above the forest the sky was turning black with thick thunderclouds blocking out the sun.

"Harry run!" Hermione yelled as a red shot of light came really close to hitting him.

Inside Harry emotions felt like they were boiling him alive_. This is it, _he thought to himself. Behind him the frightened yells of students seemed to wake him up from the spot he had been standing at while the invasion started. Turning and grabbing Hermione's hand they ran as fast as they could up the slopping lawn toward the castle.

Spells were thrown at them the entire way up. None of them managed to hit them as they ran into the entrance hall.

Inside was total chaos. Those who hadn't been outside were standing around trying to figure out what was going on. Over in a corner someone was crying. She didn't know where her friend was that had been outside just moments before with her. Everyone was talking in raised voices wondering what was going to happen.

"Is everyone inside the castle!" a teacher yelled. Through the door came a few teachers that had gone out to get straggling students. Behind them the large door slowly shut and secured its self, giving off a heavy bang as the last bolt was magically sealed into the ground.

People started to fidget and ask questions. Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to slowly back into a corner so that they weren't seen, away from everyone else. Suddenly someone realized Harry was there.

"Harry, what is going on?" he asked.

Around him he could see the other students now turn to look at him. They were all looking at him for the answer, their eyes hopeful.

_Oh God how do I say this?_ he thought. He wasn't ready for this. These people were looking at him expecting that he had the answer. The Great Harry Potter will know what to do. They were afraid. He could see it in their eyes. Why him, why were they all looking at him? He was no leader.

Loud noises could be heard on the other side of the door. Teachers left to go reinforce it while the students now stared at him with panic written in their faces.

Harry's heart sank. He couldn't do this. He then felt Hermione's hand in his and she held it tight in reassurance and his heart felt better.

"This is it" he said looking at her. Everyone was no hanging on his every word. "They have come to take over Hogwarts. While the school stands there is always a centre for resistance against the Dark Lord. If Hogwarts falls, the Wizarding World will fall as well."

The faces that looked at him were horrified. They had always thought themselves safe at the school but now their very beliefs were being pushed into harsh reality. There was now no were safe. Every major building or other place had been attacked and taken under control. Now they were after Hogwarts.

There were murmurs in the crowd. "What do we do?", "We need Dumbledore!" This last statement broke Harry.

"Dumbledore is gone! He's dead."

The fight at the Burrow was not being fought outside and had now taken a slight turn. It seemed that the order member where now finally getting the upper hand. Dumbledore had arrived to the aid of the order and the horror of the Death Eaters. It seemed his very presence was able to give them new hope and weaken the enemies' own strength. No one wanted to fight against a mad Dumbledore.

Harry shot spell after spell at anything that wore a dark hood and mask. Around him Hermione and Ron were doing the same. Away in the other room Mad-eye and Lupin were letting a group of Death Eaters have it.

After awhile the Death Eaters seemed to start retreating. Harry was almost fighting next to Dumbledore when he noticed someone had just aparated only a few feet in front of him. A man dressed in a black cloak like the rest of the Death Eaters, but he was different.

The air around them seemed to have grown cold as death. Everyone seemed to slow down his or her own fights and watch the man that had suddenly appeared.

_Voldamort_, Harry thought to himself. This was it, _him or me, _he thought.

He quickly raised his wand but not at Harry. A jet of red light flew out at none other than Hermione.

_Hermione, No!_ As fast as he could Harry ran towards her and managed at the last second to jump in front of the spell.

Harry felt the stun spell hit him square in the back. Pain shot through his body. He looked into Hermione's eyes as he fell to the ground and blacked out.

Harry hadn't known how long he had been out when he finally managed to wake up. He opened his eyes and he couldn't make out through the blur were he was. Quickly he found his glasses and slipping them on the room now came into shape.

He was in Ron's bedroom at The Burrow and his two best friends were sitting at the foot of the bed. When they realized the he was awake they both came running over to his side.

"Are you alright mate?" Ron asked standing next to him looking down.

Hermione looked as if she was holding back tears, "We were so worried" she said.

"I'm fine. How is everyone else? Did they all make it out? What happened?" He was fully awake now and wanting to know how the rest of the fight went.

Hermione and Ron looked at one another. Harry could tell a silent message was being passed between the two. He couldn't help but think that this couldn't be good in anyway. Finally he saw Ron nod towards Hermione.

She sighed before she looked at Harry and told him what happened. "Not everyone made it out alive Harry. Kingsley got hit and some others." Harry could tell by the look in her eyes that there was something more to this. Something she didn't want to say. Though he couldn't imagine anything worse then order members being slain.

"What happened after I got hit? What happened to Voldamort?"

"Voldamort tried to kill you, but Dumbledore stepped in before he could. They got into a really powerful dual" Tiers suddenly burst from her brown eyes all down her face. Harry's mind went numb. What she was saying couldn't be true, just couldn't. "You know you are the only one that can kill Voldamort. He didn't stand a chance." She took in a deep breath. "Harry, Dumbledore is….dead" Harry's mind went numb. There was only one thing that he managed to do.

From anywhere in the house people suddenly jumped at the sound of someone screaming.


	4. The Biginning of Battle, Part 1

A/N: Ya! I am ALIVE! Sorry this chapter is sooo short. lol. This chapter has been hell for me! First I had complete writers block on it and then my computer decided to be an ass and I had to delete it. :cries softly: So I am going to try and get it all fixed again. lol. Anyway, hope this works. Thank you to all of my reviewers. I LOVE YOU! Stay with me here. I think it is getting somewhere. :)

Chapter 4

The Beginning of Battle, Part 1

Everyone had their eyes on Harry. He was their complete centre of attention. The words he had just spoken had an immediate effect on the crowed of students. Their faces paled and some of the girls had tears in their eyes though they had yet to fall. They all looked scared. Even some of the older students couldn't hide the deep sense of loss that they felt.

Harry didn't know how he could do this. Why where they all looking to him for the answers? He was just as scared as the rest of them.

"I can't give you anything more" he said to them.

That was when it started. Several small voices in the crowed started saying things like "but we have you!" "Ya! You can stop him!".

Before he knew it, they were asking him how to stop the Death Eaters outside and what was going to happen. They became so upset that Harry was worried they were all going to jump on him at one point. Their desperation was over whelming. It was almost claustrophobic in a way. It was even worse looking at the first and second years. Their young innocent faces were written with their fears right on top.

Harry's stomach flipped inside out as he looked at them. He felt as if he could be sick at any time and was even about to when Hermione squeezed his hand in reassurance. This simple gesture had a great impact on him. Suddenly he felt better, his stomach at peace.

On the other side of the hall McGonagall's voice rang across the crowed of students. "Everyone to their houses now!" she commanded breaking up the large amount of shouting that had arisen.

It took a few moments but they soon started heading off. Around the three, students all started towards their respective houses. Talking was replaced with the sounds of many feet as some headed up the stairs, down to the dungeons and across the halls. Hermione and Ron started up the stairs behind the rest of the school when they realized that Harry wasn't with them. Hermione looked back at him.

Harry was looking towards the door. As he looked he was suddenly over come with that strange feeling again, the feeling that he was ready. Not knowing what it meant he just tried to forget it, but then it hit him like a wave upon the sand. In his mind it all made since and he soon knew it to be true with his whole heart. Looking at the large wooden door that now separated the school from an army of Death Eaters he could feel him there. Voldamort. Harry could feel him waiting and watching knowing exactly what he now knew.

Harry's heart started to rise inside of him. He was now more scared then he had ever been up onto that moment.

Hermione looked down at the boy that had now become a man. Harry stood staring towards the door; his stance was rigged with tension. Something wasn't as it should be, this she knew. She wondered what he was thinking at that moment.

"Harry, what is the matter?" she asked him. Harry's bright green eyes locked onto her with an intensity and fear that shook her very heart. At that moment a sickening feeling over came her as she looked down at him. His cold pale face was all she could see. Everything around him seemed to turn to darkness. Hermione felt as if she was looking down into a tomb. Her whole soul shock at that moment as she realized what he was doing.

Before she could stop herself Hermione had run down the stairs and thrown herself into Harry's arms. She felt the comfort of his strong hands hold her tight as he was thinking the same thing she was. A silent tear ran down her cheek.

"Don't do this!" she whispered into his ear. "Don't! It doesn't have to be now!" More tears came running down her soft face. Hermoine had known about the prophecy for some time now but she never thought about what would happen when the time came.

Harry could feel the wet tears on his neck as Hermione spoke to him. He could feel his heart breaking inside. It took all of his will not to break down in tears before her, but he couldn't let himself. He knew he had to be strong, for both of them. Slowly and with much regret Harry pulled Hermione away so that he could see her face to face, see her warm loving brown eyes that had always given him such strength.

"This has to be," he said softly with much calm in his voice, a calm that he didn't feel. He ran a hand through her hair feeling its softness through his fingers. "This is something I have to do." The whole time his eyes never left hers.

Hermione just shook her head. "The whole time you said you didn't know what you would do with out me," she said as she held his hand as it slid down her face. "but what would I do without you?" she leaned her head against Harry. "Don't do this, don't do this."

Ron watched the scene in front of him that had just unfolded in front of his eyes. He saw his two best friends acting towards each other like he had never seen them do before. In his mind he was hurt that they hadn't told him about it, but soon he came to the realization that it no longer mattered. Things were happening around them that were far more important than why they had not told him of their relationship.

"So this is it mate?" he asked Harry. He knew Harry knew something that he didn't. The two looked up at Ron as he joined them. "This is what it comes down to? This last fight?"

Harry slide his hand down and grabbed Hermione's, "This is it." He knew he didn't have time to explain to Ron about him and Hermione and looking at him Harry realized his best friend had accepted it. He was grateful. He needed Ron with him if they were going to get through this.

"Well, you have us behind you, right Hermione?" Ron asked Hermione. She had stopped crying and her face was now calmer looking though he could see her mind hard at work.

She nodded at his words, "your right," Her voice was strong with her will to help him.

Harry looked at his friends in disbelief. He felt a sudden mix of emotions. As much as he needed his friends, he couldn't stand to have them in dangers way. If either of them were hurt in this fight, he didn't know what he was going to do. When he spook she tried to speak with authority and strength "No."

At that moment Professor McGonagall walked over to them in a fury. "What do you three think you are doing here? You should be up in your house with the other students." They could see that she was trying to keep herself together, but she was wearing out fast.

Harry looked at her. "I am staying professor" he stated to her. It wasn't a question.

McGonagall took a hard look at Harry. She could see that something was different about him and soon enough, just like it had done with the others, she realized too. Her face showed her deep sadness, a very rare occasion. "I can't allow it Potter," she told him.

Hermione then spoke up. "Actually professor," she said, "we are over the age limit. You can't really tell us whether we can fight or not. It is our choice." She knew she had just outwitted her. There was no way that she could stop them.

McGonagall looked at the three friends. They really were a site. She never though that any friendship could have out done James and Sirius' but these three had done it. In their eyes she could see their determination to stand beside one another no matter what happens. Harry was going to fight and they were not about to leave him. She gave a heavy sigh and said "Very well, you my stay. Fallow me."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked after their teacher.

"Well, this is it mates," Ron said in a upbeat voice, trying to lighten the mood.

"Right" Harry said in a much calmer voice. Hermione didn't say anything.

Slowly the "Golden Trio" headed out of the entry hall, the last to leave.


End file.
